In-motion starting gate



D. GEORGETTE ET AL May 28, 1-957 IN-MOTION STARTING GATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1955 INVENTORS.

y 8, 1957 D. GEORGETTE ETAL 2,793,613

IN-MOTION STARTING GATE May 28, 1957 D. GEORGETTE ET AL 4 Sheets-Sheelg 3 Filed June 13, 1955 M y 23, 1957 D. GEORGETTE ETAL 2,793,613

IN-MOTION STARTING GATE Filed June 13, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent "ice p 2,793,613 TIN-MOTION STARTING GATE Daniel Georgette, Nicholas JQGeorgette, and Leonard S; Georgette, Stratford, Conn.

Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 514,966

8 Claims. (CI. 11.9-45.5)

This invention relates to a starting gate for horseracing tracks,"and particularly to an in-motion starting gate in which the horses are in motion at the time they are released from the gate, and has for an object to provide an improved construct-ion of this type of gate in which the horses are all led forwardly in line and at a winifoim speed to the point of release, and then simultan- 'eously released for the start of the race.

1 Another object is to provide a simplified and improved construction for the gate which will facilitate handling and proper locating it at the starting position on the track.

Another object is to provide a gate in which, although 1 separate stalls may be employed for the different horses,

it is preferred that these stalls and their swinging gates be eliminated, reducing the danger of further exciting the horses.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, we have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part 'of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the parts broken away to pending arm and a portion of the depending swinging frame carrying the plurality of leads showing operation of the automatic release;

5 is a section showing a detail of the lower end portion of a support for the individual leads carried by the swinging frame;

Fig. 6 is a section of the release device for connecting a lead to a horses bridle;

Fig. 7 is a view of a connection that may be used to the horses birdle or bit, and V Fig. 8 is a detail of a portion of the release-operating mechanism.

One of the chief objects of the present invention is to :do away withthe form of starting gate now generally employed having a series of separate stalls and the swinging gates at the'front or exit of each stall, in which these gates are supposed to be simultaneously released for permitting the start. In that form of gate, the horses start from a standing start, and the horses are often nervous in being led into the stalls and excited by this operation and the swinging gates. Although with the present device separate'stalls maybe used, it is preferred that they be eliminated and the horses be thus unconfined, except possibly by a separating bar or similar means between adjacent horses to prevent interference between them, and it is also an object of this new device to lead the horses forwardly in line at a uniform rate for the starting operation, and thensimultaneously release them after they have attained the givenspeed, so that the horses are simultanverse members 21 connected at their opposite endsto the upper members 11 of the frame.

rollers 26. 24 and on the bar 23 arelongitudinally extending toothed 2,793,613 Pa'tented May 28, 1957 eously released while in'motion and when moving forwardly at the same speed.

The device comprises a suitable frame structure 10 which may be built up of different structures and forms of structural members, but that shown comprises a frame made up primarily of suitable tubular 'members welded together. Thus the structure shown comprisesapa'ir'bf end frames comprising verticallyspaced' horizontal tubes 11 and 12 connected by upright tubes 13,and theseend frames are supported by laterally spaced. upright tubular members 14 on a pair of supporting wheels 15on oppositesides of the track and by which, the device may be trans-- ported to thestarting position. The uprights 14 may be suitably braced and strengthened by transverse connecting members16 and inclined braces 17 connecting them with the lower tube12. Forward bracing may alsobe secured by the members 18 and downwardly inclined bracing members 19connected to a carriage 20 carried by the supporting wheels. The frames at the opposite ends of the device are connected by a series of trans- On the innerside of theuprights 13 and the lower horizontal member 12 is a pair of vertically spaced .angle bars '22 and 23'secured to the frame members by any suitable-means, such, for example, as welding, and between these bars and mounted on the lower bar 11' is a rail 24, which in the form shown is provided ,with a groove or channel 25 in the top wallin which run the wheels or rollers26 of a movable carriage 27.

rails 24 carried by each of the end frames of the main frame, and this carriage extends the entire length-cf the mainframe and includes laterally spaced frame members 28 and 29 with suitable transverse connecting or bracing members 30, 31 and 32. These members carry suitable bearings 33 for shafts '34 carrying the Mounted at one side of each of the rails racks 35 meshing with spur gears 36 on the drivingshaft 37 operated through a suitable reducing gearbox "38 by an electric motor 39 mounted on the transverse support 32. The rails 24 and the racks 35 run the 'full length of the main frame and support the carriage 27 for "forward movement on this frame for the starting operation. "'At their forward ends the rails 24 terminate in upwardly curved portions 91 for a purpose later to be described.

Mounted on the forward'shaft34 carrying the 'forward rollers 26 is a swinging frame comprising end-members or swinging arms 40 including a head 41 pivotally-mounted on the shaft 34, and depending from this headmember is a depending tube"42,"one at each end of'the-device, and connected at their lower'ends by-a transverse tube 43-at a suitable height above the ground. At-their forward ends the arms 40 are connected by'atransverseshaft44 carrying at its opposite ends rollers 45 running on' the rail 24, and these arms 40 are connected by a transverse bracing member 46, and there maybe intermediate similar arms and bracingportions between the members 40 forming additional pivotal connections to the carriage27. Depending from the transverse'tube43 are a series of short upright tubes 47 properly spaced, and one for each horse, the-depending tubes 42 being strengthened bythe inclined braces 48 connected to the free endor bearing block 49 of the pivoted members 40. Thus the whole depending structure, comprising the uprights, 42, the transverse member 43, depending members 47 and'braces 48 carried by the pivoted arms 40, may be swung upwardly or to the right, or that is, counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrow 50. While in the upright position of Figs. 1 and 2, the connecting shaft 44 and the free ends of the elements are supported by the rollers 45 running on the track 24. At the lower end of each of the depending members 47 is a flexible lead connection 51 for one of the horses, and at the free end of this connection is a releasable release 52 adapted to be connected one to the bridle of each horse by some suitable means, such, for example, as the lead device 53 shown in Fig. 7. This release, as indicated, comprises a bar 54 which may be connected by a flexible member or to the rings at the opposite ends of the bit or other members in the bridle, and this bar 54 is adapted to be connected to the automatic release 52, as shown in Fig. 6.

This release as shown in Fig. 6 comprises a housing 57 which may be a tubular member provided with a hook 58 at its free end, and a slidable pin 59 at the open side of this hook held normally in the projected position by the spring 60 mounted in the sleeve 61 which is slidable in the housing 57. The pin 59 has an enlarged head 62 at its inner end against which the spring 60 presses and 'which acts to limit outward movement of the pin 59.

Threaded into the inner end of the sleeve 61 is a suitable block or plug 63 secured by any suitable means, such, for example, as welding, to a flexible wire or cable 64, and underneath the sleeve 61 is a spring 65 tending to shift this sleeve and the pin 59 upwardly or outwardly to the holding position of Fig. 6. This releasable connection 52 is provided with a threaded head member 66 whereby it may be secured to a suitable connecting member on the flexible tube 67, connected at 68 to the rear side of the depending tube 47 at its lower end. This flexible wire or cable 64 passes through the flexible tube 67 and is connected by a suitable means 69 to a bell crank 70 pivoted at 71 in the lower end of the depending tube 47. The other end of this bell crank is connected by a suitable tube or rod 72 to a bell crank 73 pivoted in the horizontal tube 43 at 74, and connected by a link 75 to another bell crank 76 pivoted in this tube at 77 at the lower end of the tube 42. The other arm of this bell crank is connected to a rod or tube 78 which is pivotally connected at 79 to a shiftable block 80 in the upright member 42. At its upper end this block 80 has a head 81 in which is a shaft 82 carrying a roller 83 running in a groove 84 in the side of a rail or bar 85 welded to the under side of the horizontal flange 86 of the angle bar 23, and extending to the front of the main frame. The lower portion of the block 80 is mounted to slide in a sleeve 87 in the member 42 with a spring 88 tending to shift it upwardly. This groove or channel 84 in the rail 85 adjacent the forward end of this rail, as shown at the right of Fig. 1 and indicated in Fig. 8, has an upright inclined cam or offset 89, which at the proper time when the carriage 27 reaches the forward end of the frame during its forward operating movement, will raise or shift the wheel 83 upwardly, drawing upwardly with it the head 80 and the rod or tube 78. This will pull the rod or tube 75 laterally or to the left as viewed in Fig. 4, and through the connection from this rod by the bell crank 73 through the rod 72, bell crank 70 and flexible wire 64, will withdraw the pin 59 inwardly or downwardly as viewed in Fig. 6, to release the bridle catch 54, which, as previously indicated, may be connected by any suitable means, such as the strap 55 and spring clips 56, to some part of the bridle, as for example the rings at the opposite ends of the bit or some other portion of the bridle. 7

It is to be understood that there is a bell crank 73 and upright rods 72 and bell crank '70 in each of the depending tubes 47 connected to the flexible wire 64 and release 52 in each of these depending tubes 47, so that there is this automatically releasable lead connection for each horse, the bell cranks 73 for each one of these destrap55 to spring clips 56 by which is may be connected 4 pending connections being connected to each other and the operating connection 75 by similar longitudinal connections 90 in the horizontal member 43. The pin 59 (Fig. 6) is depressible independently of the sleeve 61 to permit insertion of the connection 54 under the hook 58. To make this connection all that is necessary is to place the bar 54 at the inner side of the hook 58 against the end of the pin 59 and push it downwardly into position under the hook, the pin being permitted to yield by the spring 60.

The operation is as follows:

After the gate has been run to the proper starting point on the track with the carriage 27 in the retracted position at the rear end of the frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the individual horses bridles are connected one to each of the releases 52 by snapping the bar 54 under the hook 53, as shown in Fig. 6, the pin 59 being yieldable inwardly to permit this, as previously indicated. Then in the starting operation the motor 39 through the shafts 37 and pinion drive 36, 35, at each end of the frame, will move the carriage 27 forwardly at the proper speed carrying with it the depending frame 42, 43 and the lead connections 47, 51 to the individual horses. This will lead all the horses forwardly together in alignment and at the same speed, and when the carriage 27 reaches the forward end of the frame, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, the forward rollers 45 at the forward ends of the arms 46 will run up the curved end 91 of the track rails 24, and this will swing the free ends of the arms 40 upwardly and with them the depending frame 42, 43 and the lead connections 51, thus swinging this depending frame and the connections forwardly and upwardly to the dotted line position of Figs. 1 and 3 and out of the way of the horses. Just before this movement the roller 83 running in the groove 84 of the rail 85 will hit the offset or cam 89 in this groove, shifting the head 80 and the connection 71 depending therefrom upwardly. This will operate through the bell crank 76, connection 75, and the bell crank 73 operating the release connection 72 in each of the depending tubes 47 to draw backwardly or inwardly the flexible wire or cable 64 and through it the pin 59 in each of the lead connections 52 to simultaneously release the bit connections 54 to each horse. Thus as the lead carriage 27 moves forwardly andfreaches its forward position the lead for each horse isautomatically released and they are all released simultaneously, and the release frame 42, 43 is automatically swung up out of the way forwardly and up from its vertical position to the dotted line horizontal position of Figs. 1 and 3, and the horses, all of which. are now in uniform motion, and in alignment, are free for the start.

It will, of course, be understood that there are suitable electrical connections (not shown) for supplying proper electrical power current to the motor.39 and a suitable control panel with switches for controlling the operation of this motor, including starting, stopping, speed control, and so forth. It will thus be seen that with this device the separate stalls and swinging gates at the forward exit ends of the stalls of the starting gates now commonly used may be eliminated, and that instead of start ing from a stationary position the horses are all being 'led forwardly and at a uniform speed, and are automatically and simultaneously released for an in-motion start.

Having thus set forth the nature of our'invention, we claim: a

1. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure having front and rear portions including spaced upright frame members at the opposite ends thereof adapted to support'the frame in a position extending transversely over a race track, a carriage extending between the end members, supporting means on the frame mounting the carriage to move forwardly from a position at the rear of the main frame to the front thereof, a motor mounted on the carriage and driving means from the motor for said forward movement, a depending frame carried by the carriage and including individual lead connections for different horses in alignment, said lead connections including means for detachably connecting each lead connection to a horses bridle, cooperating means on the frame and carriage controlled by movement of the carriage for automatically disconnecting the lead connections from the bridles when the carriage reaches a given position at the front of the main frame, and means mounted at the front of the main frame controlled by movement of the carriage for automatically lifting the depending frame to move the detached leads away from the horses.

2. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure including upright supporting end members, longitudinally extending rails at the ends of the frame having forward and rear ends, a carriage carried by wheels running on the rails, a depending frame pivotally supported on the carriage, a plurality of laterally spaced lead connections carried by the depending frame, the lead connections including means for detachably connecting each lead connection to the bridle of a horse, a motor on the carriage, driving means from the motor to drive the carriage forwardly, means at the forward end of a rail connected with the lead connections to simultaneously release these connections when the carriage has advanced to a given position, and means at the forward ends of the rails to swing the depending frame forwardly and upwardly when the carriage reaches the forward ends of the rails.

3. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of a race track, longitudinally extending rails at the opposite ends of the frame, a carriage including supporting wheels running on the rails, a toothed rack adjacent and parallel to the rails, a motor on the carriage, spur gears meshing with the racks and driven by the motor to advance the carriage on the rails, laterally spaced depending leads carried by the carriage, said leads including means for detachably connecting the individual leads to the bridles of horses, and means on the frame controlled by movement of the carriage to simultaneously release the lead connections when the carriage reaches a given position at the forward ends of the rails.

4. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of a race track, longitudinally extending rails mounted on and at the opposite ends of the frame, a carriage including supporting wheels running on the rails, a motor and driving means from the motor for advancing the carriage on the rails, a plurality of laterally spaced flexible leads carried by the carriage, said leads including means for detachably connecting individual leads to bridles of horses, means on the frame controlled by movement of the carriage to simultaneously release the lead connections when the carriage reaches a given forward position, and means on the frame controlled by movement of the carriage to at substantially the same time lift the lead connections away from the horses.

5. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of-a race track, longitudinally extending rails at the opposite ends of the frame, a carriage including supporting wheels running on the rails, a motor and driving means for the motor for advancing the carriage on the rails, a support including forwardly extending arms pivoted at their rear ends to the carriage and wheels at the forward ends of these arms running on the rails, a series of laterally spaced depending lead supports carried by said pivoted support, a detachable lead connection carried by each depending support including means for releasably connecting it to the bridle of a horse, means operated by movement of the carriage to simultaneously release the lead connections when the carriage reaches a given for ward position, and the forward end portions of the rails being curved upwardly to guide the wheels at the forward ends of the arms on the pivoted support upwardly to swing the arms upwardly and lift the lead connections away from the horses.

6. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of a race track, a carriage mounted on the frame for forward movement thereon, a motor and driving means from the motor for advancing the carriage On the frame, a plurality of laterally spaced lead connections carried by the carriage, means for detachably connecting each lead connection to the bridle of a horse including a hook adapted to receive a bar connected to the bridle and a retracti'ble pin at the open side of the hook retaining the bar in the hook, and cooperating control means on the frame and carriage operable by movement of the carriage to retract the pin when the carriage reaches a given forward position to release the bar.

7. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of a race track, a carriage mounted on the frame for forward movement thereon, a motor and driving means from the motor for advancing the carriage, a substantially U-shaped support pivoted to and depending from the carriage including upright end members and a transverse member connecting their lower ends, a series of spaced flexible lead supports carried by the transverse member each including a detachable connection comprising a hook adapted to receive a bar connected to a bridle and a retractible pin at the open side of the hook retaining the bar in the hook, cam means on the frame, and means operated by the cam means and connected with the pin to retract the pin and release the bar when the carriage reaches a given forward position.

8. In a starting gate of the character described, a main frame structure, means, at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the frame above and extending transversely of a race track, a carriage mounted on the frame for forward movement thereon, a motor and driving means from the motor for advancing the carriage, a substantially U-shaped support pivoted to and depending from the carriage including upright end members and a transverse member connecting their lower ends, a series of spaced flexible lead supports carried by the transverse member each including a detachable connection comprising a hook adapted to receive a bar connected to a bridle and a re tractible pin at the open side of the hook retaining the bar in the hook, cam means on the frame, means operated by the cam means and connected with the pin operated by movement of the carriage to retract the pin and release the bar when the carriage reaches a given forward position, and cooperating means on the carriage and the frame operated by movement of the carriage to swing the depending support forwardly and upwardly away from the horses as the lead connections are released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,162 Carr May 14, 1901 1,942,642 Golden Jan. 9, 1934 2,165,937 Nancarrow July 11, 1939 2,522,932 Dressel Sept. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 407,387 Great Britain Mar. 4, 1934 

